Israel-Hamas war: Antony Blinken calls on Middle East countries to prevent “an endless cycle of violence”

Antony Blinken met Tayyip Erdogan. MAXPPP – Chuck Kennedy/U.S State

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on countries in the Near and Middle East to use their influence to contain the war in Gaza and prevent “an endless cycle of violence”, Saturday 6 January on the first day of a week-long diplomatic tour aimed at easing regional tensions.

The Biden administration's top diplomat began his discussions in Istanbul with a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, before a meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan, who condemns Israeli military actions in Gaza.

Also read: Threat from Hezbollah, humanitarian aid, diplomatic relaunch… what to remember from the Israel-Hamas conflict this Friday

He then traveled to Crete, where he met Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, before flying to Jordan. "We want to make sure that countries (anxious to contain the conflict) use their connections, their influence, their relationships with some of the actors that might be involved to ensure that we don't have an extension of the conflict. conflict,” declared the head of American diplomacy during his stopover in Crete.

Israel "does not want escalation"

Israel "does not want escalation" but must also be "fully prepared to defend oneself”, he added. Antony Blinken reaffirmed that he would also seek to do everything to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip and increase deliveries of humanitarian aid.

With the Turkish President, Antony Blinken “stressed the need to prevent the spread of the conflict, ensure the release of hostages, extend humanitarian aid and reduce civilian casualties, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also discussed the process of Turkey's ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO, writes the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Affairs in a press release.

US officials have lamented the slow process, but are now confident that Ankara will soon approve Sweden's membership in the alliance, the Commission of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish parliament supported the bid last month, said the U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

US lawmakers have delayed the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey pending its approval for Sweden's membership in the ;#39;alliance, of which she would become the 32nd member. Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Finland joined last year. Greece, a NATO member, is awaiting the green light from the American Congress for the sale of F-35

combat aircraft